The Heavenly Ski and Snowboard Foundation has opened registration for the 2010-11 Alpine, Freestyle and Snowboard Programs. With a variety of options from the One-Day Program to the Full-Time Competitive Program, the foundation has something for all ages and levels of skiers and riders.

Registration packets are available online, at the HSSF building, or by calling the HSSF administration office at (530) 431.7354. Those who register and pay in full now will receive the early registration pricing; prices increase $100 on Nov. 1.

The HSSF programs are divided by age and ability; prices may vary. The One-Day Program offers all ages and abilities up to 18 training days, primarily Sundays, December through March. A Heavenly restricted pass, equipment and gear are required. Alpine and Snowboard registrants may choose to participate in the Tahoe League and U.S.A.S.A. South Shore Series, respectively, for an additional fee.

In addition to the One-Day Program, the HSSF also offers Part-Time, Part-Time Plus (Alpine only) and Full-Time programs. These programs require additional commitments from both parents and athletes. With a longer season, December through as late as mid-May, these programs offer more time on the mountain with professional coaches and more participation in competitions. Dryland and gymnastics training, Sunday Fundays, night training, video analysis, pro clinics and more advanced competition training are some of the bonuses of these programs depending upon what is right for your young athlete.

With all programs the emphasis is placed on skiing and boarding preparation and equipment care, as well as focusing on physical and mental competition techniques. The programs also teach physical fitness through healthy activity and good eating habits while promoting the values of teamwork and good sportsmanship. Program costs range from $700 to $3,000 and scholarships are available; Snowboard Program pricing includes the cost of single or three-mountain pass options.

The winter season is right around the corner, and soon the Tahoe Rim Trail will be under snow. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get out and enjoy it during the winter months.

What should you do? That’s the focus of the TRTA’s October Speaker Series. Learn how to survive an avalanche, the tricks of winter backpacking and find out the inside scoop on cross-country skiing and ski skating from three local experts.

Oct. 14: “Cross Country Skiing and Ski Skating” by John Cobourn of the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. A discussion of cross country skiing and snow skating and find out how these two seemingly distinct activities have a lot in common.

Oct. 21: “Cold Weather Camping” by Dave Hess, outreach specialist of REI Reno. Cooler weather and shorter days should not prevent you from enjoying the Tahoe Basin during the winter months. Go with confidence knowing that you are prepared for all conditions. Join REI camping expert Hess to discuss gear, clothing, personal comfort and safety considerations for your late season and winter adventures.

Oct. 25: “Avalanche Awareness and Safety” by Tim Farrar from the Slide Snow School. Are you ready to learn the decision-making skills and methods necessary for traveling safely in avalanche terrain? Look no further than this talk. Travel safely this winter season and learn how to avoid the dangers of avalanches.

All presentations are free and will take place at the DWR Non-Profit Center from 6-7pm at 948 Incline Way, Incline Village. RSVP to programs@tahoerimtrail.org or (775) 298.0012.

The 2011 Amgen Tour of California, the largest cycling event in America, will start at Lake Tahoe, officials announced today.

Lake Tahoe’s first involvement in the race will feature more than a lap and a half around the lake beginning at the California-Nevada border in South Lake Tahoe with the Stage 1 finish at Northstar-at-Tahoe in Truckee. North Lake Tahoe also hosts the Stage 2 start at Squaw Valley.

The Amgen Tour of California covers more than 800 miles, traveling between 15 host cities over the course of eight days from May 15-22, 2011.

Last year’s date change from February to May allowed the Tour de France-style road race to visit locations that would not have been possible previously, including a visit to Big Bear Lake.

The race will travel through some of the state’s most scenic landmarks, with the overall finish in title-sponsor Amgen’s hometown community of Thousand Oaks.

The 15 official stage start and finish communities that have been selected for the 2011 race include newcomers: South Lake Tahoe, Truckee, Squaw Valley, Auburn, Livermore, Claremont, and Mt. Baldy, along with return cities Sacramento, Modesto, San Jose, Seaside, Paso Robles, Solvang, Santa Clarita and Thousand Oaks.

“Whether it’s skinny or fat tires, Tahoe is a passionate biking community,” Carol Chaplin, executive director of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, said in a prepared statement. “Hosting the Amgen Tour of California, the country’s most prestigious bike race, will put us on the map as ‘must ride’ for cyclists while having a significant impact on the local and regional economy.”

Lake Tahoe is recognized for several annual summer biking events. America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride has participants circumnavigate the lake the first weekend in June. Another chance to circle Tahoe’s 72-mile shoreline is during the annual Tour de Tahoe Bike Big Blue Race in mid-September. Late September brings the Tahoe Century Ride, which starts and finishes at Squaw Valley and features scenic routes and challenging hill climbs. The annual Lake Tahoe Marathon Week offers a bike race around Tahoe’s shoreline the end of September. Furthermore, the annual Death Ride course covers five High Sierra mountain passes. Tour de Nez offers significant professional stage races in the country taking place in 2 states: Nevada and California; the cities of Reno and Truckee, along the shores of Lake Tahoe, and up the mountains surrounding the resort at Northstar-at-Tahoe every June.

Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority and the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association, are spearheading promotional and sponsorship efforts for the Lake Tahoe Stage 1 Start, Finish and Stage 2 Start, and will serve on the Amgen Tour of California Lake Tahoe Local Organizing Committee

In previous years, the race has drawn some of the world’s most renowned and respected riders, such as top Tour de France competitors, World Champions and Olympic medalists that include Lance Armstrong, Tom Boonen, Oscar Freire, Paolo Bettini, Fabian Cancellara, Carlos Sastre, Ivan Basso, George Hincapie, Mark Cavendish and Andy Schleck.

“The 2011 Amgen Tour of California route is going to result in an exciting and compelling race,” Lance Armstrong of Team Radioshack said in a release. “All of us at Team Radioshack are looking forward to it.”

Returning as the title sponsor for the sixth consecutive year, Amgen will continue to leverage the race to raise awareness and support for people affected by cancer through its Breakaway from Cancer initiative.

Stages for the 2011 Amgen Tour of California include:

* Stage 1: May 15 – South Lake Tahoe to Northstar-at-Tahoe in Truckee

* Stage 2: May 16 – Squaw Valley to Sacramento

* Stage 3: May 17 – Auburn to Modesto

* Stage 4: May 18 – Livermore to San Jose

* Stage 5: May 19 – Seaside to Paso Robles

* Stage 6: May 20 – Solvang Individual Time Trial

* Stage 7: May 21 – Claremont to Mt. Baldy

* Stage 8: May 22 – Santa Clarita to Thousand Oaks

For further information on the 2011 Amgen Tour of California, visit www.amgentourofcalifornia.com.

Publisher’s note: Lake Tahoe News is providing a glimpse into what skiers and boarders can expect at Lake Tahoe area resorts for the 2010-11 season.

Homewood Mountain Resort: Viewing the future with promise

• Projected opening date: TBA

• Daily adult lift ticket: TBA

• What’s new?: JMA Ventures, the parent company, added the West Shore Café of Homewood to its list of properties; mountain facility upgrades undisclosed as of press time.

• What’s special about Homewood?: Beauty sets Homewood apart from other resorts. Riding the ridge above the base lodge may provide the illusion of skiing into the lake, given its proximity to Tahoe. Homewood sits a mere snowball’s throw from Tahoe’s shores.

• Last year’s snow total: 380 inches

• Lift hours of operation: 9am to 4pm

• Skiable terrain: 1260 acres

• Number of lifts: 8

• Vertical feet: 1650

• Directions: A northern turn at the Y in South Lake Tahoe will take a skier and boarder to Tahoe’s West Shore where Homewood’s base lies.

• Website

— Compiled by Susan Wood

Squaw Valley has hired JP Martin as the mountain’s terrain park manager.

Martin comes to Squaw Valley with 19 years of experience in the ski and snowboarding industry and a resume that includes experience at Whistler, Mt. Hood, Jackson Hole and many resorts in Japan. Most recently, Martin worked as the terrain park manager at Sugar Bowl.

Martin has built terrain park features for some of the best pro skiers and riders in the industry; however, he remains dedicated to providing younger generations with a consistent venue where they can progress in the sport.

“I grew up right when all of the skate parks were being closed and bull-dozed, I wanted to do my part to make sure the parks on the mountains didn’t end up the same way. Some of the original terrain parks were huge, and there was no way to work your way up, great for the established pros, but not if you were just getting started,” Martin said in a press release.

This winter Squaw Valley is expanding its night skiing with improved lighting in the Riviera Terrain Park and halfpipe.

By Kathryn Reed

Skiers might not like to admit it, but sometimes a resort is more than the mountain. Heavenly knows this and is doing what it can to add to the overall experience for its guests.

The Tamarack Lodge near the top of the gondola won’t just be a winter escape. The multi-million dollar year-round lodge will open in February. For non-skiers and in the offseason it will provide a place to relax – perhaps after hiking in the area.

Crews work on the Tamarack Lodge at Heavenly. Photos/Kathryn Reed

With the weather being agreeable this fall, SMC Contractors (the same firm doing the work at South Tahoe High School) is ahead of schedule. But that doesn’t mean Mother Nature won’t lash out and slow the process down.

Heavenly is striving for gold LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

“It will look totally different (than the other lodges). It has a retro feel with a lot of exposed lumber,” Russ Pecoraro, spokesman for Heavenly Mountain Resort, said. “People will want to hang out there.”

Exposed lumber right now is a fitting description. Framing began in September after the August groundbreaking, with the roof following shortly there after. Plenty of floor-to-ceiling windows and outdoor seating will allow for expansive views of runs off Tamarack chair.

Entrances are on either side of the building.

Five themed food stations will be available, though the themes haven’t been revealed. Expect burgers to be one because that remains the No. 1 seller.

A bar, TVs – all part of the lodge. The goal is to make it comfortable, not have a cafeteria feel.

The Umbrella Bar that has been in a tent-like structure for a few years will remain through the winter. Then the plan is to take it to Snow Beach.

The terrain park with its 100 percent recycled features is going to be put back on Cascade run. This could provide quite a show for people at the lodge. Sam’s Dream and 49er are the runs to the left if one were sitting at the lodge.

With 500 indoor seats and 250 outdoor, officials expect this to be the place to congregate. Added to this is the ski school works out of here and the tubing hill is walking distance from the lodge.

The magic carpet had to be moved to the skiers’ left side of the Big Easy Chair. The yurts will stay.

After the lodge is open and a traffic pattern develops, resort officials will figure out if changing the flow of skiers will be necessary. How that might be achieved would need to be worked out.

The primary reason for the lodge is Heavenly, which straddles California and Nevada, lacks on-mountain facilities. The master plan calls for two more lodges – Powder Bowl and Sand Dunes. No construction date has been set for either one.

East Peak, which was erected in 1970, is the last lodge Heavenly built.

Since Vail Resorts bought Heavenly in 2000, nearly $60 million has been pumped into the South Shore resort. With the recent change in chief executive officers, dollar figures are harder to come by from folks in Colorado, so there is no public price tag for Tamarack Lodge.

By the time the resort opens Nov. 19 the area will look much less like a construction zone. Adventure Peak Grill will serve food until Tamarack has its kitchen open.

Follow the progression of Tamarack Lodge on Heavenly’s website. Do a search on Tamarack.

ngg_shortcode_0_placeholder (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Publisher’s note: On Oct. 8, read what Pete Sonntag, Heavenly’s general manager, has to say.

The Tahoe Rim Trail Association is offering free guided hikes this fall. This hike series is designed to enjoy an autumn morning hike on the TRT. This series features hikes from the North, South, East and West shores.

Hike details can be found on the TRTA website.

All Family and Friends hikes begin at 9am, and are all less than seven miles. The meeting place and end time will be provided, upon registering for a hike in the series.

Oct. 9: Page Meadows Fall Colors, 3-4 mile loop

Oct. 16: Day Hike to Dardanelles, 6.8 miles round-trip

Oct. 23: Spooner Summit South, 6 miles round-trip

Oct. 30: Crazy Costume Fall Fun Run, Tahoe Meadows Interpretive Loop

Pre-registration is required for all hikes. For more information or to sign-up for these hikes, call (775) 298.0012 or email jaimes@tahoerimtrail.org.

By Phillip Reese and Matt Weiser, Sacramento Bee

The road to the Lassen County town of Herlong is wide, dusty and usually deserted. Most days, motorists using it won’t see anything interesting, much less a bloodbath.

Feb. 24, 2009, was different. On that cloudy, crisp afternoon, a poacher plying his trade near the road picked off antelope one by one with a small-caliber rifle.

The hunter had tallied several kills when something in the distance apparently spooked him, causing him to flee. Game wardens arrived shortly afterward. They found four antelope dead. They euthanized a fifth that had been badly wounded. Two of the dead antelope were pregnant with three calves between them.

“In a matter of seconds, the poacher took eight antelope out of the population,” investigating warden Carol Growdon said at the time.

The issue of illegal hunting received an unusual burst of public attention last month when rock star and celebrity hunter Ted Nugent pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor hunting violations in Yuba Superior Court: illegally baiting a deer, and failing to have a deer tag signed by a government official after a kill.

He had broadcast the violations on his own Outdoor Channel hunting show. The Feb. 9 episode showed Nugent killing a young male deer with bow and arrow near the El Dorado County town of Somerset. The charges were filed in Yuba County because Nugent was accompanied by a guide and cameraman on the hunt, and that is where they live.

Read the whole story

Event: Nevada Day Classic 8k Run & 2 Mile Run/Walk

Date: Oct. 30

Time: 8am

Location: The Nugget, Carson City

Age categories: 12 and under, 13-15, 16-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60 and over

Awards: Will be determined by event sponsors

Course description: This is a classic road course through the streets of west Carson City.

Beneficiary: Special Olympics of Nevada

Mail registration to: Tahoe Mountain Milers Checks payable to: Tahoe Mountain Milers

214 W. Applegate Way, Carson City, NV 89706

Registration: online

Packet pick-up: CV Sports, at 911 Topsy Lane will be hosting packet pickup and registration Oct. 29 between 3-7pm.

Race day pick-up: 6:45-7:45am second story of The Nugget Casino

Fee: Early pre-registration $30 up to Oct. 16; $35 after Oct. 16. Walk in registration on race day $40

$5 Sagebrush Stomper and Tahoe Mountain Miler discount applies to early pre-registration only.

Information: Tom Wion, tomleewion@hotmail.com or (775) 882.0410.

The 15th Annual Truckee River Day is Oct. 17. The event will include a full day of restoration followed by a celebration fair.

Truckee River Day started in 1996 with only three weeks of planning. Four hundred volunteers came to lend a hand and completed 10 projects. Since that first year thousands of volunteers have participated in the restoration projects throughout the Truckee River Watershed. Each year the number of volunteers and completed projects has grown.

Working during the 2009 cleanup. Photo/Debborah Urich

“The 15th anniversary of Truckee River Day marks the completion of over 100 restoration projects with the help of 5,000 volunteers,” Lisa Wallace, executive director of the Truckee River Watershed Council, said in a press release. “Our volunteers pounded-in willow stakes, planted wild rose, built meadow boardwalks, placed fish gravel and spread pine needles. Together we have done a lot of work, but there is still a lot to do – we need another 15.”

This year participants will have their choice of half day or full day projects followed by a celebration at the Truckee River Day Fair. The fair will include live music, food, educational and art activities, and the annual fish release.

To participate in this year’s festivities, visit the website or call (530) 550.8760. The deadline for pre-registration is Oct. 8.